Verbena plant named ‘Suntapisofpi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘Suntapisofpi’, characterized by its outwardly spreading to trailing plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; and intense purple-colored flowers that are held above and beyond the foliage.

Botanical designation: Verbena hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Suntapisofpi’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbena, botanically known as Verbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Suntapisofpi’.

The new Verbena is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Verbena cultivars with large inflorescences and attractive flower coloration.

The new Verbena originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventors in June, 2002 in Shiga, Japan of a proprietary seedling selection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number T205-2, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary seedling selection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number T207-4, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Verbena was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Shiga, Japan.

Asexual reproduction of the new Verbena by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Shiga, Japan since October, 2003 has shown that the unique features of this new Verbena are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Suntapisofpi has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Suntapisofpi’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Suntapisofpi’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Verbena:

-   -   1. Outwardly spreading to trailing plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Intense purple-colored flowers that are held above and beyond         the foliage.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Verbena differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena have more deeply dissected leaves         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena have lighter purple-colored flowers         than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Verbena differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena have more deeply dissected leaves         than plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena have lighter purple-colored flowers         than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the Verbena cultivar Sunmaref TP-P, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,014. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Shiga, Japan, plants of the new Verbena differed from plants of the cultivar Sunmaref TP-P in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena were shorter than plants of the         cultivar Sunmaref TP-P.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena had shorter internodes than plants         of the cultivar Sunmaref TP-P.     -   3. Plants of the new Verbena had larger inflorescences and         flowers than plants of the cultivar Sunmaref TP-P.     -   4. Plants of the new Verbena and the cultivar Sunmaref TP-P         differed in flower color as plants of the cultivar Sunmaref TP-P         had red purple-colored flowers.     -   5. Plants of the new Verbena had shorter peduncles than plants         of the cultivar Sunmaref TP-P.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Verbena, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Verbena.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Suntapisofpi’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Suntapisofpi’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Shiga, Japan, under commercial practice during the spring in an outdoor nursery with day temperatures averaging 21° C. and night temperatures averaging 14° C. Plants were grown with one rooted cutting per 13.5-cm container for about four months and were pinched one time. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena hybrida cultivar Suntapisofpi. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of             Verbena hybrida identified as code number T205-2, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of             Verbena hybrida identified as code number T207-4, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 10 to 14 days at 15° C. to 20°             C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 30 days at             15° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; ivory in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit.—Initially upright, then outwardly spreading to             trailing growth habit; lateral branches decumbent. Freely             branching habit with about 48 lateral branches developing             per plant; pinching enhances lateral branch development.             Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 7.3 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 41 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 24.4 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 1.3 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 3.7 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color.—145A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 3.2 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.7 cm.         -   Shape.—Deeply dissected.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Margin.—Pinnately parted.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Coarse; pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface:             147A; venation, 145B. Developing and fully expanded foliage,             lower surface: 137B; venation, 145B.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 0.6 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: 145B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Salverform flowers arranged in             hemispherical terminal racemes; flowers face mostly upright.             Freely flowering habit with about 14 flowers per             inflorescence.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             spring to late autumn in Japan.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about one week on the plant.             Flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4.7 cm.         -   Flowers.—Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused,             five-parted. Diameter: About 1.8 cm. Depth (height): About             2 cm. Tube length: About 1.5 cm. Tube diameter: About 1.4             mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 1.7 mm.             Shape: Clavate. Color: N80A.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused petals.             Petal length: About 8.2 mm. Petal width: About 7.4 mm. Petal             lobe shape: Obcordate. Petal lobe apex: Cordate. Petal             margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: Petal, when opening and             fully opened, upper surface: N74B; eye, 155B. Petal, when             opening and fully opened, lower surface: 77C. Throat: 155C.             Tube: 155C.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One single narrow calyx tube per flower             with five fused sepals. Sepal length: About 9 mm. Sepal             width: About 1 mm. Sepal shape: Lanceolate. Sepal apex:             Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper surface:             Smooth, glabrous. Sepal texture, lower surface: Pubescent.             Sepal color, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.3 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A.         -   Pedicels.—Flowers are sessile.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Four per             flower, adnate to corolla tube. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal.             Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color: N144B. Pollen             amount: Scarce. Pollen color: N144B. Pistils: Quantity: One             per flower. Pistil length: About 1.5 cm. Stigma shape:             Bi-parted. Stigma color: N144B. Style color: 145C. Ovary             color: 144B. Fruits/seed: Fruit and seed development have             not been observed. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 0° C. to about 35° C. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Verbenas. 

1. A new and distinct Verbena plant named ‘Suntapisofpi’ as illustrated and described. 